Which place is cheaper, Utrecht or Masai Mara?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Masai Mara or Utrecht?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Masai Mara and Utrecht. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Masai Mara or Utrecht?
Masai Mara
Masai Mara National Reserve is a beautiful, scenic, nature reserve in southwest Kenya, just west of the capital city, Nairobi. The reserve belongs to the Masai people and was created in order to protect the land and the people and animals living on it. Masai Mara is considered to be one of the best reserves in all of Africa, offering the quintessential African safari experience.
Utrecht
Utrecht is both a province and a city in the Netherlands. The city is a unique university city with a lively atmosphere. Imagine Amsterdam but smaller, and with fewer tourists. Utrecht has the same underlying historical/magical feel as Amsterdam, but is full of locals rather than crowds of tourists. It has a population of about 300,000 making it the fourth largest city in the Netherlands.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Budget Safaris in Kenya, The Best Luxury Tours to Kenya, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Netherlands, and The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Netherlands.
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Masai Mara Prices
Kenya PricesUtrecht Prices
Netherlands Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMasai Mara $133Utrecht $254
The average daily cost (per person) in Masai Mara is $133, while the average daily cost in Utrecht is $254. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Masai Mara and Utrecht in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMasai Mara $37Utrecht $117
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMasai Mara $74Utrecht $234
Compare Hotels in Masai Mara and Utrecht
Looking for a hotel in Masai Mara or Utrecht? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Masai Mara Hotel Prices and Utrecht Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Masai Mara $47Utrecht $26
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Masai Mara
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Masai Mara:
- Nairobi Airport (NBO) Private Transfer to Nairobi City/Hotels: $17
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Utrecht
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Utrecht:
- Train Transfer Utrecht from/to Rotterdam: $18
- Train Transfer Utrecht from/to Den Haag: $20
- Private taxi transfer from Utrecht to Amsterdam: $110
- Private transfer from Utrecht to AMS Schiphol Airport: $130
Is it cheaper to fly into Masai Mara or Utrecht?
Prices for flights to both Utrecht and Masai Mara change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
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Food Meals for one dayMasai Mara $57Utrecht $109
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Utrecht
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Utrecht.
- Guided Food Tour: $80
- Food Tour by Bike: enjoy 6 bites and cycle trough Utrecht: $81
- Utrecht Food Tour: 7 food stops and a fantastic local guide: $81
- Utrecht Bike & Bite: The Ultimate Local Food Tour with Guide: $84
- Utrecht Walking Food Tour with 7 Gourmet Dishes & Local Guide: $84
- 10 Tastes of Food Tour with Full Lunch and 2 Drinks: $195
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Masai Mara $60Utrecht $50
Tours and Activities in Masai Mara
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Masai Mara are as follows:
- Cultural Day Tour to Bomas of Kenya Nairobi: $51
- David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage Half-Day Tour in Nairobi: $55
- Guided "Matatu" Experience Half Day Tour Within Nairobi.: $60
- Bomas of Kenya cultural Dance and Acrobatic Show Tour: $64
- Giraffe Center Guided Tour from Nairobi: $65
- Half Day Giraffe Center,Baby Elephant&Karen Blixxen Guided Tour: $70
- Giraffe Center and David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage Tour: $72
- Half Day Private Tour to Lake Nakuru National Park: $80
- Nairobi City Tour and Afternoon Visit to Bomas of Kenya: $80
- Nairobi National Park Guided Day Tour From Nairobi: $95
- Day tour to Giraffe center and Karen Blixen Nairobi: $95
- Tour to Fairview Coffee Farm Tour with Coffee Testing: $98
Tours and Activities in Utrecht
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Utrecht are as follows:
- Utrecht 2-Hour Walking Tour | Discover The City With A Local: $3.54
- Private Walking Tour of Nieuwegracht Utrecht Netherlands: $5.90
- Utrecht Monster Mystery: Exploration Game and Tour: $7.82
- Utrecht Scavenger Hunt & Highlights Self-Guided Walking Tour: $9.42
- Uniquely An Audio Tour of its Charming City Centre: $9.99
- Utrecht Historic City: a Self-Guided Augmented Reality Tour: $12
- Castles, Canals and Good Folk: A Self-Guided Audio Tour of Utrecht: $12
- Pub Trail Utrecht An Adventure Full of Surprises: $13
- De Haar Castle Gardens and Park Only Entry Ticket: $15
- Lofen Palace with Entry Ticket & Guide: $15
- Cultural and Historical Audio Guided Walking Tour of Utrecht: $15
- Utrecht Cultural self guided Audio Cultural & Historical Tour: $15
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMasai Mara $26Utrecht $27
Sample the Local Flavors in Utrecht
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Utrecht:
- Ultimate Leo’s Pub Crawl with Local Host & Shots: $36
- Ludwig's Original Pub Crawl with VIP Club Entry: $47
- Ludwig's Private Pub Crawl with VIP Club Entry: $576
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Masai Mara and Utrecht, we can see that Utrecht is more expensive. And not only is Masai Mara much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Masai Mara is in Africa and Utrecht is in Europe, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Masai Mara would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Masai Mara and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Utrecht would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Utrecht than you might in Masai Mara.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Masai Mara Expensive? and Is Utrecht Expensive?.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.